I Have Had Worse
by DollyTheLlama
Summary: "Crazy Israeli chick." He mumbled, loading a new clip into his gun.-A mishap at a crime scene allows Tony to learn more about Ziva. Takes place between "Hiatus" and "Shalom."
1. Chapter 1

Hello! This story is written as a present fic for my beta Wren (who also beta'd this...) to thank her for all her hard work that she's put into "Seeing Isn't Believing."

This takes place between Season's 3 and 4 while Gibbs is on his Mexican...vacation. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS *boo* I just borrow the characters.

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I Have Had Worse

Chapter 1:

"Take cover!" Shots rang out through the warehouse like thunder as Anthony DiNozzo ordered his partner to find shelter.

As they used the large wooden crates to shield themselves against the heavy fire, Tony thought of the events that had led them to this point. Intel obtained by Abby had led Tony and Ziva to a warehouse in Georgetown where two suspects wanted for the murders of an entire Navy family were supposedly hiding. Somehow, the tables had turned, and now Tony and Ziva where the ones hiding

Tony looked to his right when he heard a hiss of air escape Ziva's lips. "You okay?" He whispered.

"Fine." She replied through clenched teeth. Carefully she adjusted her jacket to hide the large gash on her hip created by the bullet graze. She leaned around the crate that was serving as a barricade and observed the situation. "Cover me." She whispered, pushing herself to a squatting position.

"What are you doing!" He hissed back.

"Getting the shot. Cover me." She ordered again, before springing up and firing off a round as she ran to another crate twenty feet away.

Tony growled, getting to his knees behind his shelter and firing off several shots at the suspects. "Stupid. Stupid!" He muttered under his breath as he watched her continue towards their opponents. Firing off several more shots, he noticed that Ziva was now behind the duo. "Crazy Israeli chick." He mumbled.

Ziva fired a single shot, hitting the shorter of the two men square in the back of the head.

As Tony loaded a new clip into his gun he saw the remaining gunman turn around, directly aiming his Glock 19 at the former Mossad assassin. Panicking, Tony fired off several quick shots as Ziva and the suspect did the same. When the smoke cleared, Tony saw the man on the ground, Ziva standing over him. Give one last inspection to the scene the two holstered their weapons. "You okay?" He ran towards her.

She slowly turned around to face him, holding her shoulder. Her face was uncharacteristically pale. "Ziva?" He placed a concerned hand on her arm.

"Do not worry. It is okay." She responded camly. She pulled away from his hand and showed him her blood covered palm. "There is not much damage."

Tony's eyes went wide as he understood the implications of Ziva's words and the meaning behind her blood covered hand. Within seconds he had closed the gap between them and was pulling her jacket off her shoulder. "Ziva." He looked at her arm that was slick with blood.

"It is not that bad Tony." Ziva stated, her voice firm.

"Not that bad! You got shot!" He slipped her jacket off and took off his tie, wrapping it tightly around her wound.

"I have had worse." She reminded him, looking down at the blood soaking through the tie. She was aware of the searing pain in her arm but she pushed it to the back of her mind.

Tony paused, saddened by that comment. He looked straight into her eyes. "Even so, we're going to the hospital now."

Ziva was confused by the emotion in his eyes. Tony, the jokester, who, pranks aside, was able to pull it together to lead NCIS' Major Case Response Team, looked worried. Surprised, Ziva found that she could do nothing but nod.

Tony helped Ziva into the car, quickly buckling her in, making sure not to disturb her arm. He jumped in the driver's side, put the keys in, and raced away.

Speeding towards the hospital Tony looked over at his passenger when he heard a slight moan escape her lips. "You okay?" He saw her hand pressed firmly over her wound. Her eyes were squeezed shut, jaw muscles tight.

"Fine Tony." Ziva responded, her voice strained. She felt her warm life's blood slipping through her fingers.

Looking briefly at the road and then back at his partner, Tony noticed the red blood seeping through her fingers. "Ziva you're really bleeding."

"Thank you captain oblivious." She smirked in an attempt to hide the pain, but Tony caught the way she winced as the SVU hit a bump in the highway.

"Obvious Z." And with that he floored it.

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So there you go folks, I hope you enjoyed it. If you leave me a signed review, I will send you a sneak peak of the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello all! Thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter. You are great! Thanks to Wren for betaing this-she is a life saver. So, I'll cut the rambling, enjoy this new chapter of "I Have Had Worse."

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Chapter 2:

With the bullet extracted from her arm and sent to Abby's lab for processing along with her blood covered clothes, Ziva lay on the exam table at the Georgetown university hospital as a young doctor stitched up the penetrating wound on her shoulder.

Tony stood in the doorway and watched as Ziva's wounds were repaired. He was aware that she was lying before him wearing nothing a black lace bra and panties, her torso covered by a thin, almost see through sheet, but he controlled himself. Now wasn't the time and a hospital wasn't the place to _admire_ his partner.

He focused on her face. Ziva's head was turned to the right, away from her wounded shoulder. She was staring at a point on the wall, just to the left of Tony. Her eyes were looking somewhere distant, some place no one but her could see, as her lips silently as if she were reciting a prayer.

Stepping into the room and into her line of view he realized that she was meditating, diverting her focus from the tugging sensation in her arm. "Ziva?" He questioned, unsure if she would hear him.

Ziva snapped out of her trance and her eyes slid over to focus on Tony's face. "Yes?" She questioned quietly.

"McGee brought by the spare clothes from your locker." He held up the neatly folded garments.

Ziva nodded. "Thank you." She said as the doctor taped a bandage over her stitches and raised the head of the bed so that Ziva was once again upright.

"Come back in ten days and get those taken out." The doctor told her. "A tech will come by once you're dressed to give you a sling."

Ziva nodded and both she and Tony watched him take off his thick latex gloves and toss them in the red trash bin before exiting the room. He pulled the curtain shut behind him, ensuring her privacy.

Ziva held out her hand expectantly for the clothes but Tony did not relinquish them. Instead, he stepped closer to the wounded woman and put the clothes on the bed beside her. He unfolded her pants and held them in front of her, waiting for her to step into them.

"Tony, what are you doing?" She demanded. "I am perfectly capable of dressing myself." She once again reached for the pants.

"Humor me Ziva. You've got one good arm. I'm just trying to help."

She paused, once again confused but pleasantly surprised by the care he was exhibiting. She slipped her legs into the pants and stood up. She felt goose bumps spring up on her legs as Tony pulled her pants up and fastened the clasp. He picked up her tee shirt and slipped it over her head. His big hands were gentle as he guided her wounded arm into her shirt. "_Toda_ Tony." She said gratefully.

"_Prego._" He smiled. "Don't get yourself shot again though, even if you can handle it."

"Hmm." Was all Ziva responded as a tech in green scrubs walked into the room and carefully placed Ziva's wounded arm in a sling. Once the tech was gone, Ziva pulled at the strap by her neck. "I hate these."

"Spent a lot of time in one?"

Ziva shrugged her good shoulder and walked past him, turning around when she didn't feel him behind her. "Are we going back to NCIS now or what?"

"NCIS? You're going home."

Ziva sent him a murderous glare. She was pleased when he gulped. "I am fine Tony. And I would like to go back to work now." She started walking again.

Tony sighed, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. "I thought I was the boss." He grumbled.

Ziva chuckled. "Oh Tony, you are still the boss. Do not worry your little hairy butt."

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Well there you go! I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you think! If you leave a signed review I'll send you a sneak peak of chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, thanks for your reviews on the last chapter. You are the best! Thanks to Wren for betaing this as well. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 3

"Tony, this isn't right, this can't be." Abby typed furiously on her keyboard.

"What's not right Abbs?" Tony set a Caf-Pow in front of her, his eyes briefly shifting to the picture of Gibbs on her desk before he looked back at her computer.

"The bullets. It makes no sense." The guns that McGee brought me from the bad guys both shoot 9mm. This is a .357."

"One of ours, yeah." Tony didn't see the problem. "Both Ziva and I shot at the men. The bullets should be ours."

"Yeah, the bullets in them maybe, but this is the bullet from Ziva's arm. The one that McGee brought from the hospital."

Tony's eyes opened wide as he understood Abby's words. "I shot her?"

"Or there was a third shooter." Abby was looking at Tony. She saw him nod and his face pale. "We can test your gun, but it was just an accident Tony. It's probably not even your bullet."

"Ziva's hurt Abby." Tony slipped his service weapon out of its holster and handed it to the scientist. "Test it."

Sighing, Abby stepped over to the firing slot and unlocked the safety, unloading a round into the water. She opened the tank and fished out the bullet. As she walked over to the microscope she talked to Tony. "It probably won't match Tony. I wouldn't worry. Ziva is okay right?" She looked at him suspiciously, suddenly wondering if he was downplaying the Israeli's injury.

"Other than the hole in her arm, yeah, she's just great." Tony snapped, the stress of the afternoon finally getting to him. He exhaled, "I'm sorry Abby."

"It's okay Tony." The forensic scientist gave him a bone crushing hug before turning to the scope. "They're probably not even a match." She looked through the scope and rotated the bullet, looking for any matching striations. "Oh…"

"Good oh or bad oh?" Tony questioned, squinting up at the computer screen where her results were projected.

"Bad oh…very bad oh." Abby turned to face him. "The bullets came from the same gun."

Tony felt his heart plummet. "I shot her!"

Abby bit her lip and nodded her head. "It was…"

"I guess I should be glad that you are a bad shot." An accented voice came from the doorway of the lab, causing both of the occupants to spin around.

"Ziva…" Tony breathed. He looked her over: she was leaning against the doorway with her good shoulder, her injured arm still incased in the sling. "Ziva I'm so sorry." He cautiously walked over to her.

She shook her head. "It was a firefight Tony. It is not your fault." She graced him with a small smile. "I have been hit by friendly fire before." She pushed off of the doorjamb and walked into the lab, looking up at the matching bullets. "It would be nice if we could get such exact matches like this during murder investigations."

"Oh I'm so glad you're okay!" Abby squealed, wrapping her arms around the injured Israeli.

Ziva bit back the groan that threatened to escape her lips as Abby's shoulder jarred her arm. She raised her good hand and patted Abby's back awkwardly. "Thank you Abby."

Tony saw the pained expression on Ziva's face and cleared his throat. "Abs, I think you might be hurting her…"

Abby quickly let go and stepped back. "Sorry! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Abby frantically looked her over.

"Abby. Abby!" Ziva shouted to get the other woman's attention. "I am fine. I came down to drop off some evidence from the scene." She held out an envelope containing the prints that McGee had lifted from the warehouse.

The goth took the envelope and then placed hands on Ziva's and Tony's backs, gently pushing them towards the door. "Tony, take her home now. Make sure she's comfortable. Ziva…ah ah." She raised a finger as Ziva's mouth opened in protest. "Take it easy, I do not want to see either of you here tomorrow. Got it?"

Tony nodded. "Yes boss."

"Good boy." Abby patted his head. "Ziva?" She questioned expectantly.

"Abby, I do not see…" The Mossad liaison began to argue before Abby's glare cut her off. "Okay."

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"This is ridiculous Tony. I am fine." Ziva protested as Tony opened the car door for her, ushering her into the vehicle.

Tony shut her door and got into the driver's seat. "You took a .357 to the shoulder and a 9mm to the hip. And before you say something, yes I know you've had worse, but this one is my fault. So I'd appreciate if you did one of two things. Either let me take care of you, or be pissed at me for shooting you."

"You do not want me pissed at you Tony." Ziva looked out the window as they drove towards her Springfield apartment.

"I know I don't, but I deserve it." Tony stated firmly, his grip tightening on the wheel, his knuckles going white.

If Ziva's left arm had not been restricted by the sling, she would have placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Tony, it was an accident. I do not blame you."

"Well, I blame me Ziva. I put a bullet in your arm. I could have killed you." Tony felt the guilt of his actions weighing heavily in his chest. He looked over at her while they were stopped at a red light. "I hurt you Ziva."

Ziva saw the guilt on his face. "I do not blame you Tony. What can I do to make you feel better?"

"Just let me keep an eye on you." Tony said as he started driving again.

Ziva thought about Tony's words as they finished the drive to her apartment.

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Thank you for reading. Please leave a signed review letting me know what you think and I'll send you a sneak peak of the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter. Thanks to Wren for betaing. This is not the end of this story but it is all I have written thus far, so ideas would be much appreciated. Enjoy!

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Chapter 4

Walking into her apartment, Ziva headed straight to the couch and sat down. "Have a seat." She offered Tony.

"We should really change your bandage." Tony held up the bag of medical supplies that the hospital had provided.

Ziva huffed and got back to her feet. She walked by him, grabbing the bag before he could react and walked into the bathroom. She shut the door.

"Ziva, let me help." Tony called, as he reopened the door following her in.

Ziva sighed when she realized he wasn't going to leave. Slipping out of the sling, she started taking off her shirt when she felt Tony's hands begin to ease her injured arm out.

Though normally seeing his partner's bare torso up close would please him, Tony was shocked by the bruises and scars littering her olive skin. A few of them he had seen while they were undercover, but many of them were new. "What happened to you?" Tony whispered as Ziva ripped the old bandage off her arm without wincing.

"Hazards of my profession."

"Some of these are new Ziva, why didn't we know you were injured?"

"It was unimportant. If the injury had affected my ability to do my job then I would have told you."

"How'd you get them Ziva? When?"

Ziva looked at him closely. When she realized that he was not going to drop the subject, she took a breath and began to explain. "When I went home the few times this past year, my father sent me out on assignments. Some went better than others. Like I told you earlier. I have had worse. At Mossad we are told to work through it."

"Didn't your father file a report of your injuries for Gibbs and Jenny?"

Ziva gave a short humorless laugh. "My father's only concern is that the job gets done. He does not care about the cost. We do not file injury reports." She waited for Tony's response but when none came she huffed irritably. "So can we change this bandage?"

"Yeah...sorry." Tony robotically started unwrapping the first aid supplies, Ziva's words still echoing in his head. He hadn't failed to notice the hurt look in her eyes as she discussed her father. As he cleaned her wound and dressed it with a fresh bandage, Tony silently vowed to protect her and not give her a reason to have sadness in her eyes anymore.

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"Is this the only movie you've got?" Tony asked, holding up a copy of _The Sound of Music_.

"Yes. And I like it." She walked past him, grabbing the movie from his hand.

"How can you only have one movie?" Confusion was present in Tony's voice as he watched her set the DVD back on the shelf.

"Tony, look around, do you see a TV?" Ziva snapped.

Tony spun in a slow circle, looking around the small, but neat apartment. "That's what was missing! I knew something was off. Why don't you have a TV?" He spotted a bookshelf on the far side of the room. "Oh my God, you're like McGeek!" He slid a heavy leather bound book from the shelf.

Ziva growled and snatched the book from his hand, putting it back in its rightful place. "Will you just stop! Look, I did not come to America to learn about pop culture or spend my time planted in front of a television." She stalked over to the couch and dropped down upon it heavily. "Life is not about constant stimulation and mindless entertainment Tony."

Tony watched her closely, taking in this new side of Ziva that he hadn't seen in the past. "What is it about Ziva? And for that matter, why did you come here?"

"Life is about taking care of the ones that are close to you, doing all you can to make this world a better place before you die. And as for your second question, does it really matter Tony?" Her voice was soft as she lowered her eyes away from his emerald gaze.

"Yeah Ziva, it does." He walked over and sat beside her. "Do you really think that little of yourself? That your reason for being here doesn't matter? Cause you said it yourself Ziva, it's about making a difference."

"Am I? Am I really making a difference here Tony? Does anything really matter?" She got up and crossed to the other side of the room, leaning against the wall, she shoved her free hand into her pocket. "You saw what happened with the Cape Fear. And now Gibbs is gone…What difference have we made?" She demanded.

Tony paused, looking at the woman before him. Though her posture was guarded, the anguish written across her face was as clear as the day. "We do make a difference Ziva. You do make a difference. Two bad guys are off the street today because of you. Isn't that something worth fighting for?"

Ziva looked up, meeting his eyes again. She sighed as he stood up and crossed the room to her.

"Come on." He lay a gentle hand on her arm. "I have my laptop. Let's watch Julie Andrews and the singing nuns."

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Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and I'll give you a sneak peak of the next chapter once I write it lol. If you want, give me ideas for the rest of the story; that will ensure I write faster ;-P


	5. AN

Hey all, so I'm sorry that it seems like I've fallen off the face of the planet. I just finished my junior year of college and boy was it a tough year. But, now it's summer, and I would really like to get back to work on this story. However, part of the reason why I haven't updated (other than a lack of time) is that I have no clue what else to write. I know I have gotten messages from several of you encourging me to finish the story and I would like nothing more than to do that. Please give me ideas, where would you like to see the story go, what plot twists should occur, etc. Thank you so much,

-Emily


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